Our top ten fundraising ideas

If you’re short on ideas to get your charity fundraiser started, don’t worry as our charity team have put together a list of their top ten fundraising ideas to help spark some inspiration!

Charity fundraisers really do come in all shapes and sizes and we love seeing what our crowd gets up to when it comes to raising money for a cause close to their heart. So whether it’s to raise £100 or £10,000, here are ten ideas to help you get started. 

1. Run a marathon

Running a marathon is a difficult but fantastic way to raise some money for your chosen charity. Not only is it an incredible achievement, it also builds a lot of excitement around what you’re doing.

Not feeling ready to tackle 26 miles? Don’t worry, you can fundraise for a half marathon or even just a sponsored run. 

2. Haircut or a head shave

Have you ever thought about shaving your head or cutting it super short for charity? You can invite people to donate to your fundraiser and come along to the event to watch it happen live. 

Once it’s done, you can look into donating your hair to charity along with the funds!

It’s a big step but it creates a lot of excitement from your crowd. 

3. Birthday fundraiser 

Instead of asking for gifts for your birthday, why not ask everyone to donate to a charity of your choice? It’s a feel-good way to celebrate and means your charity gets a yearly burst of donations from your crowd!

4. Sponsored silence 

Ask your friends and family to sponsor you to be silent for an entire day! If you’re feeling confident, you could even try for a couple of days but trust us when we say that it’s a lot harder than you think. 

Not only will it give your crowd a little peace and quiet, it’s also a fun activity to build up noise (ha!) and excitement for your cause. 

5. An obstacle course or challenge 

The world loved hearing about Captain Tom as he walked laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS and 11 year old Max Woosey who spent over a year sleeping in a tent in his garden. Long story short, when people take on a challenge, you can’t help but be inspired. 

Here are some challenges to think about

• Plank for one minute every time someone donates £1
• Do a jumping jack for as many pounds that people donate 
• Hike along a nature trail 
• Climb a mountain 
• Take part in the Tough Mudder

6. Team fundraiser

How about bringing your friends, family, or colleagues together to take part in a team fundraiser? You could try setting up a baking competition or even an office dares challenge! 

They’re really fun ways to get a whole team of people involved. Plus, you’ll be able to tap into everyone’s networks to get as many donations as possible for your chosen charity! 

7. Yes challenge 

Imagine saying yes to everything for an entire day! Not only will it yield some hilarious results, but it will also get your friends, family, or colleagues involved in what you’re doing!

If you’ve got children, you could get them fundraising for school and then ask them to tidy their bedroom or do the washing up. 

8. Give something up

Giving something up that you love isn’t easy but it sure is a fun challenge. How about a chocolate free month or no more coffee at work?

It’s true that your friends might not appreciate it if you’re grumpy, but the charity sure will when they receive the donations from your fundraiser. 

9. A sponsored swim

Whether you’re ready to tackle the Dart 10k or just fifty lengths of your local pool, swimming to fundraise is both great fun and a great challenge. 

In fact, last year, the CEO of Beggars Group raised over £120,000 for charity when he swam the English Channel.

10. An eco challenge

Many of us are taking steps to live more eco conscious lives by using less plastic, turning the lights off, eating less meat and so on.

How about fundraising for charity at the same time by starting your own eco challenge? 

You could try cutting out plastic completely for a month or going an entire week without driving. Not only will you be helping the environment, you’ll also be raising money for your cause. Better yet, you might inspire someone else to give it a go too! 

Looking for more guidance on your crowdfunding project? Head over to our Knowledge Hub.